Category Archives: Book Reviews

Somewhere in the Shallow Sea by Dennis Macaraeg – Review

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Title – Somewhere in the Shallow Sea: A Novel of Suspense
Author – Dennis Macaraeg
Genre – Thriller
Length – 229 Pages
Publication – Oct 2015
My Rating –3/5 Stars

Synopsis

To save the life of his friend, a marine biologist must deliver the scientific compound he invented to kidnappers hiding deep within the jungles of the Philippines. Unexpectedly paired with his ex-lover for the mission, it’s a bit more than he signed up for.

Review

So what is the book about I hear you ask?

Well the book follows Danny a scientist, his friend Blake has been kidnapped and he has the compound the kidnappers are after. Danny, with the help of some friends and an ex-lover sets out to save  Blake.

The plot was good with a few twists thrown in although I did feel events happened a little too easy at times.. just when Danny thinks all hope is gone an acquaintance of a friend can help. Nothing so bad as to ruin the plot but I would have enjoyed seeing Danny struggle a bit more for leads.

The writing was good, fast paced and easy to follow with a great amount of knowledge added by the author to set the scene. This really did help me imagine the locations described which sound lovely but at the same time dangerous.

Towards the end of the tale the plot picks up a notch and I really enjoyed the ending.

I liked the characters although with such an action packed tale it was hard to get to know them. The romance in this book didn’t feel forced, which suits my tastes. There was a natural progression to it which made it more believable and if you’ve read my reviews you’ll know I don’t do romance ha

Overall this is a good book, think spy thriller without the good guy having any skills or tech support.

The author shows great imagination with his plot and it was really great to see how well this story mixed with the descriptive text of the tale. I definitely think there has to be more to come from this author so I’ll keep an eye out for what’s next!

To find out more head to Amazon or Goodreads.

Free-Wrench by Joseph Lallo (@jrlallo)- Review

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Title – Free-Wrench
Author – Joseph Lallo
Genre – Science Fiction, Steampunk
Length – 153 Pages
Publication – July 2014
My Rating –5/5 Stars

Synopsis

The islands of Caldara are a shining jewel in a rather bleak world. A terrible calamity in the past had blanketed much of the world with a toxic “fug.” Those who survived were forced to take to the mountains and the skies in wondrous airships. Life has since been a struggle, with only the most ruthless and crafty able to survive. To spare themselves the same fate, the Calderans erected a battery of guns to fend off the airships of the mainland. They isolated themselves from the madness of the world, choosing instead to focus on the pursuits of art and creativity. Few believe the technologically advanced but socially barbarous outsiders have anything to offer. Amanita Graus, though, is hoping that they do.

Nita’s mother has lost her livelihood and perhaps soon her life to a terrible disease. Already the black sheep of the family for embracing engineering rather than art, Nita resolves to leave the safety of her home and do whatever it takes to find a cure. For a price, the bizarre crew of an airship called The Wind Breaker are willing to grant her a meeting with their mysterious benefactors, and thus a chance to procure the one thing with a chance to save her mother.

Free-Wrench follows Nita’s adventures in a steampunk world of airships and lunatics. Helping her in her journey are an eccentric crew of smugglers; the gruff Cap’n Mack, the simple but enthusiastic Lil and Coop, the arrogant marksman Gunner, the surly surgeon Butch, and the irritable mascot Wink. To survive and find what she seeks she’ll need to earn their trust, follow their rules, and meet face to face with the people who pull the strings of their society.

Review

I’ve had this book on my TBR list for a while and I thought it was about time I gave the author my attention. I’m very glad I did.

Free-Wrench follows Nita, she’s good with machines..I think she could probably fix anything given the time.

The book starts off giving a little background to Nita’s life..  she works in the steamworks which is a very demanding job and we quickly learn how good she is.

A couple of events happen that conspire to change her life forever. Her mother has an illness which can’t be cured and by chance see gets to meet some smugglers.. these smugglers know a lot about the world and know a cure is out there..but it will be a high price if they can get it for her at all.

Nita is happy to pay the price but doesn’t trust the smugglers so adds her services to the bargain in order to keep an eye on things.. this is when things quickly escalate.

Loyalties are tested, relationships forged in the heat of battle and secrets are revealed..It appears those who pull strings hold all the cards..but for how long?

This was a very enjoyable tale with airships and gun battles and one very interesting/fun and nosy lead character.

What made the tale even better was the crew of the airship, the Wind Breaker. Each have their own reason for being on board and we learn a little about each throughout the tale. The interactions between the characters is really what made me enjoy the book, fun at times then at others deathly serious.

This is a great introduction to a series which I fully intend to keep reading. I can only say I’m sorry it took me so long 🙂

It’s a fast paced, well written, easy flowing, wild ride of a tale suitable for young adults up and at 153 pages it won’t take you long to be hooked in.

Best of all you can pick the book up on Amazon for free!

Have a look and tell me what you make of it. Please do let me know if you’ve read the other books in the series, I’d love to know what you think of them.

To find out more head to Amazon or Goodreads.

Ganga Jamuna by Sunita Lad Bhamray – Review

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Title –  Ganga Jamuna
Author – Sunita Lad Bhamray
Genre – Inspirational Fiction
Length – 150 Pages
Publication – 2016
My Rating – 4/5 Stars

Synopsis

Ganga Jamuna is the tale of Abani, an enchanting woman from Nepal. Blessed with remarkable tenacity, Abani tries to tackle every predicament with a silent resolve. When she is faced with a medical situation that seems insurmountable, Singapore, the hallmark of modern medicine, comes to the rescue, and she finds herself travelling across borders seeking solutions. This journey proves to be a fulfilling experience and a turning point in more ways than one, as she discovers new allies in strangers. Just when everything seems to be finally going right, another bout of misfortune strikes. Holding onto mere filaments of hope, Abani chances upon answers in the elements of nature, which enable her to carry on and make her stronger than before. About the author Sunita Lad Bhamray is an author and educator based in Singapore. After a long rewarding career in teaching, she now enjoys her time devoted to writing. Ganga Jamuna is Sunita’s third book. Her first book, Triumphs on the Turf, was about horse racing in India. It was followed by Grandma Lim’s Persimmons, a storybook for children.

Review

I jumped at the chance to read this book as soon as I learned the subject matter of the story..Twins. Conjoined twins no less. I feel very blessed that my own twins girls had what is classed the perfect birth with no issues so when I learned a little about this story I just had to read it. I couldn’t imagine the stress the situation would have put Abani under.

The book starts off slowly with very plain speaking informative chapters. It’s Abani’s early life..how she meets a local boy.. they grow up and become closer one night.. and that night changed everything.

Abani takes the twins on as a single mother, the father having no knowledge of girls birth but she has an amazing group of people watching over her.

When the chance to separate the twins arrives it’s a tough decision but in the end she must do what’s best for the girls and in this case it means travelling from Nepal to Singapore to get the care they need.

It’s an emotional ride with a lot of low moments but overall the story is very inspirational to me.. Abani never gave up..she battled on throughout what would have been a very trying time.

The writing is short and sharp..no messing around..straight to the point. Once I got used to the style I loved it..the story flowed so well from chapter to chapter and this no-nonsense approach meant I really took in what the author was saying.

If you are looking for a happy tale this isn’t it..this is a good book but a hard story to read, it hits you in the gut..life isn’t fair..but you must never lose hope!

My thanks to go Rachel at Authoright for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

To find out more head to Kitaab, Amazon.com or Goodreads.

The Spirit of Solstice by Charlotte E. English (@Charlottenglish) – Review

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Title – The Spirit of Solstice (The Malykant Mysteries Book 6)
Author –Charlotte E. English
Genre – Dark Fantasy
Length – 92 Pages
Publication – Jan 2017
My Rating –5/5 Stars

Synopsis

Konrad Savast is the Malykant: foremost and most secret servant of the God of Death. His job? To track down the foulest of murderers and bring them to The Malykt’s Justice. No mercy. No quarter.

Solstice Eve, and Konrad is dragged from his bed to investigate the murder of a local wine merchant. The man’s as dead as they come, but his spirit seems oddly unperturbed by his passing.

More victims are swift to emerge, all killed in the same brutal style — and all with strange, unheard-of reactions to the news of their own demise. Is it just the Solstice spirit, or is there something else afoot? Something stranger, darker and far more dangerous…

Review

I don’t know how Charlotte does it but this series gets better and better with each story.

Konrad is the Malykant, He seeks justice for those murdered and he has a growing group of followers to help him. My favourites being Optapi and Eetapi as always. Their dark humour always has me smiling. The relationship between them and Konrad is a strange one, I don’t think Konrad wants to admit it but as much as he doesn’t like the serpents he’d be lost without them.

This case is a very perplexing to start with..a man is found murdered but seems happy to be dead when the serpents bind him. Why?

More bodies turn up and the curiosity grows with each death.

Now I don’t want to spoil the tale by giving away too much detail but Konrad has to root out fact from fiction to discover the identity of the killer but the strange manner of the deaths means this isn’t a quick open and shut case.

I loved the injection of myths in this tale. Fantasy and myth blend so well for me and it made for an extraordinary tale.

What the author manages to do superbly well is that she builds on the previous foundations set in the series and develops the relationships. Konrad is still coming to terms with feeling emotions and in this tale it looks like having emotions might not be the best thing.

While I loved the original ensemble of characters I really enjoyed the return of Tasha, she’s very unique and I love the relationship she has with Konrad and the growing support she has to offer with her own set of skills.

Once again I’m shocked at how much Charlotte can fit into so few pages. At 92 pages this is exactly what a short story should be..It’s a full tale, fast flowing and easy to follow, no unanswered questions & nothing feels rushed.

Charlotte’s tales are dark and a mildly gruesome at times but are very enjoyable and well suited to a young adults and above. I think what I really enjoy is Charlotte’s use of language, it’s never dumbed down but never too complex to put a reader off either.

I’ve said it before but Charlotte is Queen of the short tales for me. She never sets a foot wrong and they’re perfect if you don’t have the time to read a longer length novel.

To find out more head to Amazon or Goodreads.

Blog Tour! – Kin of Cain by Matthew Harffy

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Today I’m very glad to be the next stop on the Kin of Cain blog tour. First let me tell you I jumped at the chance and did receive a copy of the book in advance but as always with Harffy’s work it was already on my pre-order list so I’ve paid for my copy too 🙂

Other stops on the tour

1st March – Hoover Book Reviews
2nd March – Speesh Reads
4th March – Parmenion Books
5th March – For Winter Nights
6th March – History…The Interesting Bits!
7th March – Lives and Loves of a Book Nerd

Matthew has kindly wrote a post about what the future holds which will follow on from my review so sit back and enjoy! My thanks go to the author and Yasemin at Head of Zeus for making this blog tour happen!

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Title – Kin of Cain
Author – Matthew Harffy
Genre –  Historical Fiction
Length – 86 Pages
Publication –1st March 2017
My Rating –5/5 Stars

Synopsis

AD 630. Anglo-Saxon Britain. A gripping, action-packed historical tale set in the world of The Bernicia Chronicles. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell.

Winter grips the land in its icy fist. Terror stalks the hills, moors and marshes of Bernicia. Livestock and men have been found ripped asunder, their bones gnawed, flesh gorged upon. People cower in their halls in fear of the monster that prowls the night.

King Edwin sends his champions, Bassus, Octa and band of trusted thegns, to hunt down the beast and to rid his people of this evil.

Bassus leads the warriors into the chill wastes of the northern winter, and they soon question whether they are the hunters or the prey. Death follows them as they head deeper into the ice-rimed marshes, and there is ever only one ending for the mission: a welter of blood that will sow the seeds of a tale that will echo down through the ages.

Review

When I first read The Serpent Sword I was shocked at how quickly Octa disappeared from the tale, it’s this murder that sets Beobrand on his journey but I was  left wondering who Octa really was.. was he anything like his brother?

Well now we have the chance to see a little of the man himself in a short story set before the events The Serpent Sword.

86 pages is a decent amount of pages for a short tale in my opinion and Harffy doesn’t hold back. For me what I really enjoyed was this tale has a bit of fantasy and mystery to it. The unknown force that is attacking people..is it human or beast.. either way the King wants it dead!

Octa sets out with a band of men to prove himself to his King and one of my favorite characters is included in this group, Bassus! oh how I love that man.

Harffy weaves a tale which includes the death and gore we are used to but it also manages to give some depth to Octa that wasn’t possible before.

The tale is full of suspense, it’s dark, gritty and gruesome..what more could you possibly want?

When I was reading the tale I couldn’t help but see Octa as Beowulf and reading the author note it was really great to see the Harffy’s thought process on this. It really made the tale stand out.

Personally I feel Harffy has loads to offer and I hope to see  more shorts in the future as I feel they bring depth to the authors world and allow them the chance to share some great stories with us the readers. When I commit to an authors work I want to feel like they are committing to me also..to give me their best and Harffy never disappoints.

Kin of Cain is thriller/mystery/fantasy/myth/folklore and so much more wrapped in to 86 glorious pages and it’s well worth the asking price.

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon

What the future holds for me and my writing – Matthew Harffy

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If you’d asked me four years ago what the future held for me and my writing I would have said I hope to find an agent and then get published. In February 2013 I was close to finishing the first draft of my debut novel, The Serpent Sword. I’d never written anything longer than a few hundred words before and I could see no further than completing the book and somehow getting it out in front of readers who hopefully would like it. That was it. I really had no ambition beyond that, apart, of course, from the secret dream of selling millions of books and becoming rich enough to retire to a tropical island somewhere. But we won’t talk about that.

So much has changed in the last four years. I finished The Serpent Sword and found an agent. I then wrote the sequel, The Cross and the Curse, while my newly-acquired agent tried to sell the first book, and, unfortunately, failed. This failure pushed me to self-publish both books, whilst pressing on with the writing that had somehow become part of my life by this point. Both books were doing well and garnered many positive reviews. This finally piqued the interest of a publisher, so I signed a contract with Aria, a new imprint of publisher, Head of Zeus. Aria re-published the first two books and then published book three of the Bernicia Chronicles, Blood and Blade. They also managed to sell the rights for the three novels to Audible, who have now released the audio books for them, narrated by a great actor called Barnaby Edwards.

I have also written a prequel novella, Kin of Cain, which is out now, and completed book four in the Bernicia Chronicles, Killer of Kings, which is due out in June.

I am now well into the first draft of book five in the series, which will also be published by Aria, who have plans to release all the books in hardcover and mass market paperback in the coming months and years. I am even hearing talk of possible translations of the books in the works!

The point of this rambling on about the past and all the great things that have happened in the last four years is that I had no idea what would happen then, and I don’t really know what the future will bring in the next four years. But what I do know is that there will be more novels in the Bernicia Chronicles. Beobrand’s tale marches on into the seventh century and he will see more kings come and go. He will face his foes in the clash of shieldwalls in battles throughout the island of Albion and, who knows, perhaps even beyond its shores.

And when I decide to move on from Beobrand? When I am done with the mead hall and the shieldwall? What then? Well, I would love to write a western, but I am told there is no money in them. If I am ever close to living in my dream where I have enough money to write what I want and not care about how many people will read it, I will probably turn my hand to the American West. I can almost smell the rotgut whiskey and the pungent stench of gunpowder in the air of a rowdy cattle town when the ranchers and their cowhands have rolled in from the dusty trail. If you look carefully, you will see much of the so-called Wild West in the Bernicia Chronicles, but I would relish the chance to write at least one book set on the Frontier of civilization in the 19th century.

If, as is much more likely, I will have to write books that might sell and which appeal to readers of my books, I have an idea for a Viking saga, which actually has elements of a western in it. But I can say no more now, as it is just a twinkle in this author’s eye! It’s either that or romance, which my wife assures me sells better than the violent books I write. I’m not sure I would do very well at that, but I might have to think of pen name if I want to find out!

I am sometimes tempted to write a fantasy. I am a huge fan of writers like J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard and David Gemmell, so I have a firm understanding of the genre. And the thing that I like most about it, is that I would not have to stick to historical facts! In many ways, the stories I tell could easily be transposed into a word of epic fantasy. But as I am writing historical fiction, I am constrained by what is known to have happened, the technology available, and when things occurred. Oh, and no dragons or magic!

I would love the chance to be able to just create a plot and write whatever I wanted because I would be in total control and nobody could tell me I had got something wrong, as it would be my creation!

So, what of the future? I think we’ll have to wait and see. But if people keep buying my books, I think I can safely say I’ll continue to write them.

Hopefully others will enjoy whatever directions in which the muse takes me.

Author info:

Matthew Harffy is the author of the Bernicia Chronicles, a series of novels set in seventh century Britain. The first three books in the series, The Serpent Sword, The Cross and the Curse and Blood and Blade are available on Amazon, Kobo, Google Play, and all good online bookstores.

Kin of Cain, a standalone prequel novella set in the same world as the Bernicia Chronicles was published on Amazon and all good online bookstores on March 1st 2017.

Killer of Kings , the fourth of the Bernicia Chronicles, is available for pre-order now on Amazon and all good online bookstores.

Website: www.matthewharffy.com

Twitter: @MatthewHarffy

Facebook: MatthewHarffyAuthor

Blog Tour – Porcelain: Flesh of Innocents by Lee Cockburn (@lee_leecockburn)

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Today I’m very glad to be the next stop on the Porcelain – Flesh of Innocents blog tour.

About Lee Cockburn

Lee Cockburn has worked for Police Scotland for sixteen years including as a police sergeant in Edinburgh for seven years and also as a public order officer. Before joining the force, she played for Scotland Women’s rugby team for fifteen years, earning over eighty caps for the Scottish ladies and British Lionesses teams. She also swam competitively for twelve years, successfully representing Edinburgh at the age of fifteen in the youth Olympics in Denmark in 1984. Lee lives in Edinburgh with her civil partner Emily and their two young sons Jamie and Harry. Her first book Devil’s Demise was published by Clink Street Publishing November 2014.

Follow Lee Cockburn on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lee_leecockburn

Title – Porcelain: Flesh of Innocents
Author – Lee Cockburn
Genre –  Police Procedural
Length – 266 Pages
Publication – 21st Feb 2017
My Rating –3/5 Stars

Synopsis

Detective Sergeant Taylor Nicks is back and in charge of tracking down a sadistic vigilante, with a penchant for torturing paedophiles, in this unsettling crime thriller by a real-life police sergeant.

High-powered businessmen are turning up tortured around the city of Edinburgh with one specific thing in common — a sinister double life involving pedophilia. Leaving his ‘victims’ in a disturbing state, the individual responsible calls the police and lays bare the evidence of their targets’ twisted misdemeanours to discover, along with a special memento of their own troubled past — a chilling calling card. Once again heading the investigation team is Detective Sergeant Taylor Nicks, along with her partner Detective Constable Marcus Black, who are tasked not only with tracking the perpetrator down but also dealing with the unusual scenario of having to arrest the victims for their own barbarous crimes. But with the wounded piling up the predator’s thirst for revenge intensifies and soon Nicks discovers that she is no longer chasing down a sinister attacker but a deadly serial killer.

Vivid, dark and deeply unsettling Porcelain: Flesh of Innocents is the perfect next read for serious crime and police thriller fans.

Review

I must forewarn readers that this book won’t be for everybody.. it’s dark and tackles such issues as child kidnapping and paedophilia.

It’s an engrossing and downright scary read and as a new parent it had my pulse racing at times.

Throughout this book we learn about a brother and sister who’ve suffered abuse at the hand of those they should be able to trust during their childhood.

While that tale unfolds we also learn of a present day vigilante who is standing up for those who need protection..this vigilante soon gets wrapped up in an active police kidnapping case when a child goes missing!

This book does really make you think.. these are bad people who get what they deserve but at the same time we have laws and the vigilante is breaking them too.

There’s a team of detectives on the case to hunt down this vigilante and for some there’s a very full on complicated love relationships going on and there is a load of sex scenes. For me this is the only bit I didn’t enjoy about the book. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no prude and it did add to the sexual nature of the book and explores the emotional needs of sex but it took my focus away from the main plot which I was fully committed to. By the third major sex scene I ended up just flicking past the pages as I just wanted to get back to the main focus of the tale..the vigilante.. that storyline had me hooked.

Did the sex ruin the book? No..it’s just not for me..It’s just not what I expected to happen.

It’s a dark and gritty book that really makes you think.. these things can and do go on in the world around us.. this is a subject most of us wouldn’t even want to think about.

As the pressure mounts the vigilante makes a mistake and the police are closing in..I kept going back and forward between characters trying to decide the identity of the vigilante until the big reveal and I wasn’t disappointed.

The ending left me wondering what’s next… either more is planned or more likely left up to your imagination and I loved it.

It’s a tough subject so by its nature some people may not like the book but it’s definitely worth the read. I can honestly say I would have rated it 5* if the book had stayed on the case and had a little less sex..but that’s my taste.. I know many of you will love the book.

A disturbingly good story..take a look

I’ve read the other reviews so far during the blog tour and the book is receiving a very positive response!

My thanks go to Authoright and the author for the chance to read and review their work in exchange for an honest review.

To find out more head to Amazon or Goodreads.

Author spotlight

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About me, I love my family more than life itself, my boys make my heart beat, I have a beautiful wife, a lovely kind supportive mum, and my late dad was a kind and remarkable man, someone you could rely on, someone who said I should write poetry, which I did do a year after his death, and unfortunately through dementia never got the chance to read my book.  My wider family are also very supportive and believe in me, and listen to me when I‘m letting it all out.

I have always been sporty, swimming for 12 years, training 5 hours a day when I became quite good at it, swimming in the youth Olympics when I was 15, representing Edinburgh.  I then started playing rugby at 22 and represented Scotland for 15 years and the British Lionesses earning 81 caps in total.  We won the first ever 5 nations tournament, we also won the European championships in 2001 and won 70% of our games always in the top 2 or three in the 6 nations, very proud to play and represent this proud nation, appearing in 3 world cups and 4 European championships.  My last game I was punched in the face, breaking m cheek bone, nose and damaging my eye, very sore, but played on for 40 minutes. I still play the occasional game now and then and I am 48, 6’1” and 15 plus stone, a big strong lass and not over the hill yet.

 

I used to work in the Commonwealth Pool for 13 years, lifeguard/duty manager, I loved that job, very entertaining time, a really good bunch of people.

I joined the police at 32, came second in the fitness, just because my sprint wasn’t good enough, I was gutted, 10.15 for my mile and a half, never to be repeated.  I have been in response policing (front line) for most of my service, other than three years in the public order unit, which is helmets and shields and crashing down doors and that type of thing.  I was promoted at nine years service and left the public order unit and went back to response once again and I am still there.  I have been pushed and shoved around a bit, but only assaulted once when I was knocked out in my first 6 months of service, a big black eye and I didn’t see who did it, so she got off with it, but did ask at court how my face was.

I was a little bit flighty when I was younger, but it wasn’t an easy life for a gay woman coming out 31 years ago in 1986, 6 years after it was against the law to be gay as a male.  I was assaulted at nineteen in Princes Street for being gay, I sometimes had to lie about my life to protect myself.  I have always been lucky enough to have someone special in my life, and now I am married and settled.  I‘m very glad things here in Britain have changed for the better, and I hope it stays that way, for the sake of my family.

Writing, I never though I would ever write, it was all because of a dull book and I wanted to write one the way I’d like to read one, so I did and I am now on book three, I find it a great source of escapism and I do like to entertain people, and this is just a new outlet to do this.

I am a fun loving humorous woman, I love life and thrive on filling it with as much happiness as I can, especially with the children.  One thing I don’t like is unfairness, I hate bigotry, and I am a great believer in live and let live, protect those that need help, I hate a bully, and people should stand up for what is right.

I miss my dad, and I love the isle of Arran.

Purchase from Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Porcelain-Flesh-Innocents-Lee-Cockburn-ebook/dp/B01MR8004F/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1486590103&sr=1-1&keywords=porcelain+flesh+of+innocents

Purchase from Barnes & Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/porcelain-lee-cockburn/1125500067?ean=9781911525318

 

Indefatigable by J.B. Garner (@JBGarner_Writes) – Review

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Title –  Indefatigable (The Push Chronicles #2)
Author – J.B. Garner
Genre – Superhero/Fantasy
Length – 167 Pages
Publication – Sept 2014
My Rating –4/5 Stars

Synopsis

Three months ago, the Whiteout changed the very nature of reality across the globe, spawning in its wake superhuman beings, both good and evil. For every day since then, Irene Roman, armed only with a strange immunity from the powers of the ‘Pushed’, has donned the guise of Indomitable to try to reverse that change and protect the normal people from the worst excesses of the Pushed. She may never have wanted to be a hero, but she had no choice in the mater.

Unfortunately, Irene is still only mortal. Her never-ending duties have pushed her to a breaking point. Now, what began as a simple kidnapping investigation catalyzes overnight into the worst threat the city of Atlanta has had to face. An unholy plague, old enemies, and new challenges are coincide at once, landing squarely on Indomitable’s shoulders, despite the help of her small cadre of allies.

How much burden can any one person carry and how much strain can she take? Will Irene crumble or will she prove to be indefatigable?

Indefatigable is the second novel of The Push Chronicles. This tale of an altered Earth will conclude with Incorruptible, coming in 2015.

Review

I can honestly say I enjoyed this one more than the first. The first book was a clear-cut good vs bad tale whereas this book has more to it…some motives aren’t 100% clear at first which made it more interesting.

Click here to view my review of book one – Indomitable

After the events of the previous book Irene and her friends are still tackling their fair share of Push crooks.

Epic is still around but has cleaned up his act a little..although he still believes he should rule he’s helping protect the people from the Push crooks too, although him and Irene have very different views and their teams try to stay clear of each other.

In this tale an old enemy resurfaces and starts to wreak havoc and Irene/Indomitable has to do everything within her power to find out who is behind things and what the ultimate end goal is.

Indomitable isn’t like the Pushed and with the constant workload she’s running on empty..pushing herself to the limit and at times you think she’s one step away from collapsing. The first book was a fight of good vs evil, in this book I feel the fight was more an internal one for Irene.

The plot builds nicely on the first book in the series and it definitely felt stronger, I enjoyed it more. What made the story even better was the addition of the Argent Archer character, he’s one of Epic’s crusaders sent to help Indomitable in her time of need.

There’s a few decent twists in this tale that keep you engaged and we get a lovely cliff-hanger ending that has me itching to follow this one up quickly.

At 167 pages it’s a short and fast paced book. It’s easy to follow and suitable for YA and big kids alike.

My thanks go to the author for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

To find out more head to Amazon or Goodreads.

Veiled Intentions by Michael R. Miller (@MMDragons_Blade) – Review

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Title – The Dragon’s Blade: Veiled Intentions
Author – Michael R. Miller
Genre – Epic Fantasy
Length – 467 Pages
Publication – Feb 2017

My Rating –5/5 Stars

Synopsis

Rectar has always had his sights set on conquering the human lands. His demonic invasion of the west is gaining momentum – an unrelenting horde unhindered by food or sleep. Now, only the undermanned Splintering Isles lie between the demons and the human kingdom of Brevia. If the islands fall, the rest of Tenalp will soon follow.

The Three Races must work together if they are to survive, but they have another problem – Castallan. The traitorous wizard has raised a deadly rebellion and declared himself King of Humans. He believes himself safe in the bowels of his impenetrable Bastion fortress, but Darnuir, now King of Dragons, intends to break those walls at all costs.

To face these threats, all dragons, humans and fairies must truly unite; yet old prejudices may undermine Darnuir’s efforts once again. And as the true intentions of all are revealed, so too is a secret that may change the entire world.

Review

After the events of the first book we know war is coming but there’s so much more to this book than just one big fight.

The three races are plagued by trust issues. The Dragon’s still see themselves above humans, especially since Castallan has manged to turn a large number of humans to his cause but they must come together if they stand any chance of beating back the demons.

It’s a battle of wills fought on a number of fronts, Darnuir has a clear plan and it’s not what you might think.. the negative effect magic has on him makes him dependent on it so he flies wildly about looking for any excuse to draw his blade and the magic it contains. I loved this negative side effect to magic, it shows it’s not something to be messed with..you need to know how to manage it..and Darnir just can’t cope without it now.

Blaine is back and he has his own internal demons to deal with as well as the physical demons sent by Rectar. He was still a mystery after the first book but this one brings some much needed depth to the character.

The most interesting development is the continued friction between the demons and the spectres..You should remember from the first book the leader of the spectres knows his master has a plan..and this plan doesn’t require him or his kind.

What I really love about this series is good and bad aren’t so clear cut.  Magic always seems so cool and fun..not in this book, it’s poison! The spectres who control the demons hordes are only doing what they are forced to do.. some just want to live, they tire of war. Darnir even though he’s fighting ultimately for the good of the three races has motivations that aren’t so just, he craves the magic and this drives him on at times.

The three races split their forces up to best fight the demons and this allowed the story to stay fresh as we moved from fight to fight.

Character development is always high on my list of wants and this book has tones. Some characters from the previous book take a step as others new and old get their time to shine but it all worked for me.

This is what fantasy should be, swords and magic, fairies and dragons. This book builds nicely on the first book and sets up the final book perfectly. The next book will have a lot to live up to.

Some secrets are revealed but you can tell the author has more to give to make the final installment an explosive one.

This is epic fantasy which I love but what gave it the wow factor for me is that things aren’t black and white. There are hidden depths to a lot of the characters and this meant I never knew what to expect next.

My thanks go to the author for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I hope many of you will agree with my take on things.

To find out more head to Amazon or Goodreads.

Fool Me Twice by Philippa Jane Keyworth – Review

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Title – Fool Me Twice
Author – Philippa Jane Keyworth
Genre – Historical Romance
Length – 211 Pages
Publication – December 2016
My Rating –4/5 Stars

Synopsis

In the gaming hells of eighteenth century London, orphan Caro Worth is leading a double life. By day she plays a proper gentlewoman on the lookout for a wealthy husband. By night she plays the infamous Angelica, her fictional half-sister with a talent for cards and an ability to finance the life her respectable self has built. An introduction to a rich Marquis brings marriage and security within Caro’s grasp…until the arrival of the unpredictable and totally ineligible Mr. Tobias Felton.

Dismayed by Felton’s persistent appearances, shocking frankness, and enigmatic green eyes, Caro watches helplessly as he comes closer than anyone to guessing her secret, but when complete and utter ruin threatens, she finds that Felton’s suspicions just might become her salvation. As the walls she has built to protect herself crumble down around her, Caro learns that no matter how careful your plans, life and love have a habit of falling quite spectacularly out of control!

Review

If you’ve read any of my reviews before you’ll know I’m not a fan of romance novels..it’s just not my genre but this book has a plot that easily overshadows the underlying romance of the tale.

Caro Worth has been left penniless and alone except for her trusting servants. She leads a double life as Angelica in order to pay her debts and to keep a roof over her head.

During the day Caro is looking for a suitor to save her. She isn’t intent on finding love..what she needs is safety and protection that can be given by a man of worth.

I didn’t really like that side to Caro,  she’s only after a man for the money and safety he can provide at first but you learn she does this with the best intentions, she’s not a black widow or a gold digger..just a woman in need.

In walks Felton, loved him. He’s a misfit and a constant embarrassment to his family. Felton and Caro’s worlds collide and he finds himself drawn to her.

There’s a lot of back and forth between the two, neither wanting to fully admit the attraction that grows.

The plot thickens when another suitor appears on the scene..but he’s after Angelica, and he wants to treat her like his property. This man forces his way into Caro’s life by way of gossip and debt so she is stuck not knowing how to get rid of this unwanted attention.

When Felton puts things together you can see him change, he wants to help her as any respectable man should.

It would spoil the book if I told you what happens next but let’s just say Caro struggles to keep her secret and let anyone get close to the real Caro.

The book is well written and easy to follow. I loved the plot and was eager to see if Caro could find a way out of this mess.

The ending suited the tale perfectly for me and the romance while always a present undertone didn’t overwhelm the story.

Will Caro be saved? Will Felton become a man and take some responsibility for his life? Well why not have a read and find out?

My thanks go to the author and Rosanne at MStPublishing for the chance to read/review the book.

 To find out more head to Amazon or Goodreads.

The Promotion by Christopher K. Michael (@ckmichaelauthor)- Review

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Title – The Promotion
Author – Christopher K. Michael
Genre – Paranormal Thriller
Length –  122 Pages
Publication – January 2017
My Rating – 4/5 Stars

Synopsis

What if you got exactly what you wanted and it was the biggest mistake of your life?

It’s 1965 in New York City as Arthur Chadwik climbs the corporate ladder, obsessed with landing the promotion of his life. One day, after an encounter with a vagabond gypsy, his dream finally seems to come true, but only by way of a curse. Soon after, Arthur confidently rules his company until the unexpected domino effect of her black magic begins to crumble before him. He is so shaken to see those around him placed in jeopardy as a result of his desires, that he must find a way to undo the curse before all of their lives are changed forever.

Review

Oh now this tale I enjoyed. Arthur Chadwick is a man many would say is lucky, he’s mister big shot and he gets his wish to be the most important man in the office.

The issue is there’s always a downside to these things. He climbs the ladder way too quickly for the board and clients to trust him. He’s also got Billy son of the man he replaced after him..his father wouldn’t have given up his company so easily and he wants to know why. I didn’t really like Billy, I felt he went from 1 – 100 quickly but it did show how much Arthur’s rise to power had changed things.

It reminds me of the story the gingerbread man. Arthur is in over his head running away just like the gingerbread man does with people chasing after him. Will the fox get his gingerbread man? You’ll have to read it and find out.

The plot of this tale was good, I liked how Arthur gets his wish from the mysterious gypsy. I particularly liked that Arthur’s wish was open to interpretation..I don’t think he wanted to be the big boss at that time..he just wanted to be important, he wanted to feel his worth..his career is his life. This meant things quickly spiraled out of control when he figured out just how hard it would be to be the boss.

I felt the author managed to put a good tale together in 122 pages..The tale develops quickly, it’s well written and it’s interesting from the start.

Development is my biggest need in a book and in such a short space of time I think the author did well to bring depth to the main character, showing his motivations and ultimately showing us he’s not just a money hungry executive.

To find out more head to Amazon or Goodreads.